Dr. Diana Reiss, a cognitive psychologist, professor of psychology at Hunter College in New York, and research scientist, joined John Racanelli for a two-part series on the intelligence and cognition of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.

Dr. Reiss has taken a truly innovative approach to working with these highly-intelligent mammals. In a recent experiment, she gave the dolphins the ability to ask for things by using an underwater keyboard!

September 25, 2012: Dolphin Intelligence Series – Part One: Bubble Ring Play

Dr. Diana Reiss has conducted research on dolphin cognition all over the world, including here at the National Aquarium. One of the studies Dr. Reiss has conducted examines what she calls “bubble ring play.”

Our youngest dolphin Bayley starting exhibiting “bubble ring play” at only two years old! Check out this video on how we train our dolphins:

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYXAyBdbpY8&feature=plcp]

**Due to some technical issues with WYPR’s broadcast, our session originally broadcast on October 4, 2012, discussing Eastern Oyster Recovery, was unavailable to post until now. Click here to listen to John discuss the importance of restoring oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay.